


Blessed mothers

by Rogercat



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Beleriand, Cross-Generational Friendship, Elves, F/M, Family Drama, First Age, Fourth Age, Gen, Gondor, Grandparents & Grandchildren, Middle Earth, Mother's Day, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Mother-Son Relationship, Motherhood, Other, Rivendell | Imladris, Rohan, Royalty, Second Age, Third Age, Valinor, Widowed, Years of the Trees, dwarrowdams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-03-01 11:57:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 3,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18799879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rogercat/pseuds/Rogercat
Summary: Some of the mothers, across the generations and lands where they live





	1. Nerdanel

One of the best things with all those sons she had given life to, was that they were not afraid of showing their love for her in their own ways:

 

Matimo would travel around to the places in Valinor where the very best Quarrymen worked, where he ordered the finest marble for her, and paid for it to be brought home. 

 

The music of Makalaurë could be a blessing, his singing giving her strength if she was tired and needed energy to keep on. 

 

She could always trust Tyelkormo to come home with a fresh kill, happy to help them with food in some way. 

 

Carnistir, inheriting the skills in needlework from his grandmother, would do his best to sew her the finest dresses to wear when they were at court, and gladly helped her in the household budget because he was good with money. 

 

Atarinkë often proved that she had named him right and was good in the forge from which she only needed to leave her work tools in the evening and finding them ready to work again in the morning, but he did his best to not act too much like his father, especially now when he was married himself to a wife of his own. 

 

Ambarussa, her darling little twins, was a blessing in all their sweet love and trying to keep the family together whatever there was a big argument between their brothers or parents. 

 

Nerdanel was blessed, indeed. 


	2. Anairë

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anairë and her daughter

Anairë knew that her daughter was not exactly a proper young lady, or even acting as princess should do, but she would not have Írissë any other way. 

Far too often, she had seen other noblewomen at court dragging along their daughters to be shown off to possible suitors once the daughters was of age and thus welcome to court, inviting the nobles to offer marriage and build alliances though their children. 

 

“She may be a princess, but she shall not have to become yet another pretty face to show up and then wedded off to a suitor who will restrain her freedom.”

 

Írissë may be wild, but after being blessed with two sons, who was now fully grown adults, her second son even being about to offer marriage to his own sweetheart, Anairë felt that her daughter was a bit of fresh air, for all the times she had lamented the white dresses strained with mud and blood whatever Írissë had been out with her cousins on a hunt.

 

“Mother, I caught a capercaillie for you today, I saw that you seemed tired this morning and thought that you would like some forest-themed meal to give you a little energy.”

 

“Oh, that is very kind of you, sweetie. I would indeed need some energy now, with your unborn brother stealing it.”

 

No, even with her fourth child sleeping under her heart right now, Anairë tried to be patient with her daughter. One day Írissë might find herself a mother as well, and it could never hurt to at least give her a little practice in how to deal with a baby when her third son was born.   


	3. Celebrían

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mother with her daughter, and a granddaughter

Arwen was lovely from the very moment of her birth. That little detail of her being a daughter born after a set of twin brothers, was not lost to Elrond or Celebrían. Elladan and Elrohir was grown up, fine young men, knowing their family history well, and seemed to share her own thoughts in this, given how tenderly they held their little sister together, using their laps as a sort of supportive bed for her to rest on.  

 

“I shall pray for that she shall not have the same fate as your mother, Elrond, for that would be a too cruel fate. Or that Mandos shall not have to deal with another Elven princess pleading to be with her mortal lover.”

 

Celebrían loved all three of her children dearly, and she would do anything she could in order to be present in their lives, supporting them and having them know that they were loved. One day they would go their own paths, but until then, they would have a home with her. 

  
  
  


The much needed healing in Valinor seemed to be helped by her maternal grandparents, and despite that Finarfin was often kept busy by his duties as High King of the Noldor who had never left Valinor in Exile, Eärwen would somehow find a loophole and use that as an excuse to visit her granddaughter. 

 

“I am not Indis, who always tried to keep up proper behavior in public. People are used to that I am a different kind of Queen, and it is the same with my husband as well.”

 

For all of that her grandparents had not been present in her life until now, Celebrían knows enough to see where her own mother Galadriel got some of her strength from. Eärwen is almost perfectly feminine, but there is a core like the sea in her as well. Calm, but also dangerous. 

 

“I would also dislike it if people expected that I would resemble someone else in my behavior.”

 

Eärwen smiled behind her teacup. 

 

“You are a little bit like Nimloth, the grandmother of your husband. A well-bred lady, but very much able to do what you feel for.”  

 

That is good to know, that she would not stand out too much. 


	4. Narvi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the birth of a very special daughter

The pains of childbirth is already forgotten, the moment she hears the protesting wails as a sign of life and is given her daughter to hold. A lighter skin colour than her own, the small hair curls still too wet to see which colour, but the eyes, right now that blue colour all newborns have, is unmistakable the eyes of her secret Elven husband.

 

“You, sweet one,” she whispers in a tired voice, “are the finest gift I ever have been given by that blacksmith who carries royal blood in his veins.” 

 

Narvi knows very well what she is talking about, for Celebrimbor have never held anything about his past secret for her. And now she can present him with a special gift as well:

 

The first daughter born in the House of Fëanor, a true blessing in that Narvi herself is one of the rarely-born Dwarrowdams among her race. She had heard about the Peredhil children born between Elves and Men in the few known love stories of such unions, but her daughter is the first child born between a Elf and a Dwarf. 

 

“Now try and be happy, Frëja, for I believe that to be the rarely-heard footsteps of your father coming here, since his race normally is very silent on their feet.”

 

It is rare for Celebrimbor to be running in a such manner that he actually is heard, but Narvi understands that he must have heard that she have survived the birth and now have a living child to present him, even if there had been a high risk of that Narvi's body would reject their child already from the start when she had became pregnant, because there had never been a child like Frëja before.   


	5. Nimloth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> rebirth, and a family coming together again

Rebirth is...strange.

 

“It feels so unnatural, somehow.”

 

At least, when it came to have a body again after so many centuries of being a spirit in the Halls of Mandos, the bodies felt heavy. Beside her, Dior struggled to keep his balance as he tried to stand up.   

 

“So odd to not be able to walk properly because the legs are trembling so much...ow!”

 

Nimloth ignored his mutterings, and instead tried to look where their sons would be. Surely they had not been left behind in the Halls?

 

“Nana! Ada!”

 

“Where are you?”

 

Two small voices, and the little owners are seen peeking up behind a small rose bush, trying to crawl towards their parents since, like their father, they did not have the best of balance to stand up on their own feet yet.

 

“Eluréd, Elurín!”

 

Nimloth stumbled across the small glade to reach her sons, crying as she reached out for them. The moment they hugged her, she fell down on her knees to keep them close. Dior had given up all attempts of walking and did as his sons just moments before, not bothering to think if someone else saw him crawl over the ground and then hugged his wife and sons tightly.

 

“Oh boys, we will never leave you like that again!”

 

She was not even sure whatever she meant that she and Dior would not die again, or something else happening which would leave the boys unprotected from dangers while they still was too young to defend themselves.

 

But they were together again, with no one to tear their family apart again. 


	6. Lothíriel and Arwen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two Queens, speaking about life

In her childhood Lothíriel had never imagined that she could end up being a Queen Consort of Rohan, but here she was, sitting with Queen Arwen in one of the large palace gardens.

 

“It is funny, that I view myself almost more like a woman of Rohan those days than of Dol Amroth, but I guess that is a result of living there for so long, I am twice the age now when I married Eomer and look, our son is already fourteen years old! Soon he will become a adult…” 

 

Arwen smiled in understanding, listening to the other Queen Consort while feeding little Eldarion cut-up pieces of fruit in her lap. She and Lothíriel held some similarity in both being Queens from a different culture than the people they ruled over, and had given birth to two daughters before the royal heir had arrived. 

 

“Are you a bit worried for how he might act in a few years when he should start notice girls in a different manner than before?”

 

Lothíriel shook her head. 

 

“Eomer have already given him a little explanation about potential.... consequences if he takes that step. While I trust him to not be ignorant of the risks about possibly getting a girl with child, it would be a lot more easy for him if he does not need to save the honor of someone he will end up unhappy with.”

 

Arwen nodded, she knew that for the race of Men a daughter becomíng pregnant without being married a huge scandal, even if that had not been unheard of during the War of the Ring in both Gondor and Rohan as a act of desperation to have a living memory if the baby's father did not return alive from battle. But 24 years had now passed since the war, and war was hardly a situation where morality could be expected to be followed by everyone. 

 

“Perhaps he could spend a year or two with Eowyn and Faramir in Ithilien? He does have a little cousin there that could be in need of a relative to look up to, just like Eowyn and Eomer did with their own cousin once.” 

 

Lothíriel gave it a thought for some minutes. 

 

“Yes...that could work. He have always liked to be there, and it is with close relatives as well. I will write a letter to both Eomer and Elfwine to ask them about this idea, because while I believe that my husband would like that Elfwine will be in the good hands of his sister and brother-in-law, our son might need some time to be persuaded of the benefits.”

 

Eldarion drew attention from his mother and her guest again as he started to babble something vague in the language of infants below the age of one year, even grabbing after Arwen's long hair with one hand. 

 

“Are you saying that you would like to have your afternoon nap, cutie? Well, we better get you to the nursery then,” Arwen laughed gently to her son as she rose to her feet. Lothíriel remained seated on the stone bench. 

 

“I will stay out here in the sun a little more, my lady. Then you can find me in the library, Eomer asked me to see if there was any useful books about the north for my daughters to know about, since they would like to travel for a little bit before they marry in a few years.”

 

Given that her daughters was closer to the age of twenty rather than fifteen, it was no big surprise. In both Gondor and Rohan it was rare to marry below the age of eighteen, because too young brides held a greater risk of dying in childbirth, risking both their own and the unborn baby's life because they were too young for that duty of a wife. 


	7. Dís of Erebor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dís get tired with her sons over something

This was seriously getting out of hand. Dís knew that young Dwarves was not always in the mood of cleaning up after themselves, but this had to stop! Fíli and Kíli might have a set of bunk beds, neatly cut out of the rock wall above each other, but the beds themselves and the whole bedchamber was looking like a battlefield in her eyes, with the beds unmade, unwashed and clean clothes mixed on the floor, one opened book showed crumbs that revealed who had stolen her private nut-cookies in a private glass jar she hoped to be burglary safe. Apparently that good lock on the jar had not helped, and it had been one of the last gifts from Orvar before he died!

 

“That is it, they will have to clean this mess themselves the moment they arrive home from training today!” 

 

With a groan of annoyance, she slammed the door to the bedchamber shut so she did not have see the mess every time she walked past.  

  
  


True enough, her sons was arriving home eventually, both looking tired and a not so little beaten up after the battle training. Well, what else did they expect with Dwalin as a trainer and a kingly uncle who wanted them to be able of fighting so they would not be killed?

 

“Amad, are dinner ready? We are hungry,” Kíli called the moment he entered through the front door with his usual grin, but Fíli was the one to notice the disappointed face of their mother. That Dís also had her hands on her hips, spoke of that something was not good.

 

“ ** _Clean up your bedchamber._** **_As in,_** ** _right now_** ** _, or you will not have any dinner at all today._** ” 

 

Fíli was quick to nod as a silent promise of doing it, while Kíli did not seem to think it was too bad. 

 

“Eh? Cleaning our bedchamber right now? But Amad, we are tired after training and surely it is not too bad in there…” 

 

“ **_NOW!!_ ** ” Dís ordered in a loud voice which hinted to her anger, sounding and looking very much alike her older brother Thorin in that moment that her sons did not dare to protests. As so often proving himself the responsible sibling of the two young princes, Fíli grabbed hold of the tunic Kíli wore and dragged him along to their bedchamber under the watchful eyes of their mother. 

 

“I want the bedchamber to be sparking clean, even washed with soap and water! Put your dirty clothes in the washing basket, and hold the clean ones in their right places! The books are to be set up in the selves, and I want those beds to be neat when I look how far you have come in half a hour!”

 

They were old enough to keep their bedchamber clean by their own hands, even Thorin knew how important it was to have your private rooms clean so you did not trip over something in the darkness of night. 

 

Dís would make soup for dinner tonight, and her boys would be so tired after the much-needed cleaning of their bedchamber that they would only wash up quickly before dinner and then collapse into bed from pure exhaustion. Their family may be royalty, but it never hurt to learn a few practical everyday things. 


	8. Rilel, Gil-galad's mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fingon's widow is not too pleased with the people from Gondolin

Rilel did not honestly know what to think of Idril and the other survivors from the Fall of Gondolin, who had arrived to the Havens of Sirion little over a week ago.

 

“Did my idiotic brother-in-law really think that Fingon would remain unwed for all of this life, and that he could just claim the Kingship over the Exiled Noldor for his own line?!” 

 

That claim had Idril insisted on, that she was the High Queen of the Noldor and that her Half-elven son Eärendil was the next heir. Proving just how cut off they really had been from the world outside the hidden city Turgon had built and only left once after moving there. 

 

But Rilel had been backed up by Cirdan and the other Elf Lords who remained of the royal court Fingolfin and Fingon once had ruled over. Her son Gil-galad was the rightful High Kind despite his young age, and there was also the not so little detail of Fingolfin actually disowning his second son and Turgon 's descendants from the Kingship once Fingon had married and Gil-galad had been born, based on that Turgon had proven himself untrustworthy to help his fellow Noldor in the battles against Morgoth. Which had proven itself true even more when Turgon had returned to Gondolin and never left the city again.  

 

“Mother?”

 

It was Gil-galad, who looked like he just had been helping Cirdan with secure the boats for the night if it blew up to a minor storm, a weather which could fit her own mood over the past days. 

 

“I am not sure what to do with your cousin and her refusal to believe that her own grandfather disowned her side of the family from the Kingship. She is used to live as a princess in Gondolin, so this is a huge shock for her…” 

 

Gil-galad snorted. 

 

“No matter what she say or attempts to do in order to claim the sovereignty which is lawfully mine, my grandfather and father both left behind a Will which clarified the decision to disown uncle Turgon and his descendants, and that if I dies without heirs of my own, the Kingship shall go to whoever I have chosen as a backup heir from the few still living relatives we have. Idril will never gain a Queenship unless she marries a King, and she is married to a mortal.”

 

Rilel nodded, she had personally witnessed both her husband and his father publish their last Wills so their followers would know what to do with the Kingship if they died. So far, no one had dared to challenge Gil-galad over the throne. 

 

“Idril's main supporters are the fellow survivors of Gondolin. Thanks to the actions of Turgon, they are already met by distrust and if she want her son to have a peaceful life, she will soon learn that her claims are in vain,” Rilel promised her son. They only needed to wait for that reality to sink in for Idril, and keeping a watchful eye on her in the meantime. But if Idril dared to call Rilel a power-greedy female who had married far above her own social status, well, she would have a very strong taste of that Rilel had actually been a bodyguard for Fingolfin before marrying his oldest son and that Gil-galad had been taught to use a spear by his own mother.   


	9. Míriel Þerindë

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a mother and her son finally meet

Míriel sensed it before even the Maia sent to her could tell why Mandos requested her presence. 

 

“Take me to my son,” she ordered, like the Queen she once had been, and the order was obeyed. 

  
  


When she arrived to the chamber where her son had been brought to, Fëanáro was not screaming, but it was a soundless scream nonetheless, a scream of wrath and despair. And his spirit burned, just like the inner fire she had named him. In a corner, the spirit of Finwë had tried to avoid the fire from their shared son, as if he still had a body to be burned, like her. 

 

“He does not even seem to be aware of that I am here! Please, do something! Nothing I have tried to do, seem to calm him!” Finwë pleaded, honestly terrified of his oldest son at the moment. 

 

“Fëanáro.”

 

Míriel took a step forwards, letting Finwë escape. Well, it was no wonder that he was unable to do anything, he had always been a little too indulgent with their son because she had left them by freely choosing to dying after not recovering from the loss of spiritual strength she had given Fëanáro in the womb and refusing to be reborn, leaving Finwë to marry his second wife Indis and having more children by his new Vanyarin wife. But that was a thing of the past. Now she had a son to calm down. 

 

“Fëanáro, stop this now, you will set my finished tapestry on fire otherwise,” she requested in a strict voice while stepping forwards. For a moment, the fire almost vanished at her words, and she took the chance to hug her son as good as she could since he was a spirit and she had a body of flesh and blood. 

 

Her son needed to let go of that wrath first, and then she would request from Mandos that he was to be in her care.


End file.
